| Ambassador of the United States to Kiribati | |
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Seal of the United States Department of State
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Marie C. Damour since November 30, 2022 | |
| Nominator | President of the United States |
| Inaugural holder | William Bodde as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | September 26, 1980 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Suva |
The United States ambassador to Kiribati is the official representative of the government of the United States to the government of Kiribati. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Fiji, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu, while residing in Suva, Fiji.
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U.S. diplomatic terms |
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Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". |
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Bodde – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 26, 1980 | January 20, 1981 | August 15, 1981 | |
| Fred J. Eckert – Political appointee | February 11, 1982 | May 31, 1982 | May 7, 1984 | ||
| Carl Edward Dillery – Career FSO | September 27, 1984 | January 29, 1985 | July 15, 1987 | ||
| Leonard Rochwarger – Political appointee | September 28, 1987 | May 9, 1988 | August 31, 1989 | ||
| Evelyn Irene Hoopes Teegan – Political appointee | October 10, 1989 | January 18, 1990 | March 5, 1993 | ||
| Joan M. Plaisted – Career FSO | December 19, 1995 | April 9, 1996 | July 28, 2000 | ||
| Michael James Senko – Career FSO | December 28, 2000 | April 10, 2001 | August 2, 2003 | ||
| David L. Lyon – Career FSO | October 7, 2003 | November 18, 2003 | July 23, 2005 | ||
| Larry Miles Dinger – Career FSO | June 27, 2005 | September 1, 2005 | July 5, 2008 | ||
| C. Steven McGann – Career FSO | October 6, 2008 | November 24, 2008 | July 13, 2011 | ||
| Frankie A. Reed – Career FSO | August 4, 2011 | April 30, 2012 | January 18, 2015 | ||
| Judith Beth Cefkin – Career FSO | December 11, 2014 | February 23, 2015 | February 25, 2018 | ||
| Michael B. Goldman – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | February 25, 2018 | November 25, 2019 | ||
| Joseph Cella | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Confirmed: September 17, 2019 | December 23, 2021[1] | January 20, 2021 | |
| Tony Greubel | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | January 20, 2021 | N/A | November 23, 2022 | |
| Marie C. Damour | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 4, 2022 | November 30, 2022 | Incumbent |
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
